Transformed wind chimes: Nature-Symphony 9a

Nature-Symphony 9a (Into the haunted autumn forest…) — Exquisitely beautiful, and an even more jaw-dropping transformation of https://freesound.org/people/Philip_Goddard/sounds/705359/ than is the simpler Nature-Symphony 9. The original field recording presented the joyful airy rustic rattling and scuttling of bamboo wind chimes together with two bright and upbeat-sounding metal chimes, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

In Nature-Symphony 9, not only are the sonorities transformed, but the emotional impact too. Now, in version 9a, we have what I personally experience as an intense and weirdly enigmatic impassioned melancholy. This version is considerably elaborated in depth and complexity, for it consists of three layers, as follows:

Top layer: No. 9 unaltered apart from just one thing at the very end.

Middle layer: The original reduced in speed to lower its pitch by an octave + 5th (19 semitones) — a fifth below top layer.

Bottom layer: The original reduced in speed to lower its pitch by an octave + 5th + minor 7th (29 semitones total) — an octave + 4th below top layer. As in my other layered Nature-Symphonies, such a large speed reduction has caused all sorts of tuning mismatches, with many microtonal intervals and some outright dissonances, but I welcome those as part of the rugged scenery, which in that way gives point and meaningful intensity to the perfectly in-tune notes and harmonies.

Middle and bottom layers start simultaneously at beginning, but their different speeds mean they're getting increasingly out of step with each other. Top layer comes in at a point where the other two are quietening down a bit. I cut off the later part of middle and bottom tracks to enable all three to finish at the same time, all with a 30-second fade-out — but then I got an idea and slightly broke my normal non-intervention rule in these Nature-Symphonies, in slightly contriving the ending by taking a copy of the short epilogue-like final two or so minutes of the top layer and, with a 30-second crossfade, repeated that little bit so that it was now exposed, as the other layers had finished. However, I'd raised the pitch of that added 'coda' by a minor third (without changing speed), so a lighter tone has started to establish itself as the piece finishes.

As noted for Nature-Symphony 9, with absolutely no intent or contrivance on my part, this transformation has a very slow tune (of all things!) running through it, in a slowly swinging 3/4 rhythm, repeating frequently, though never fully coming out into the open in its completeness; it comes out particularly noticeably at the beginning. That repeating tune gives this work something of a ballad-like aspect. — It seems that pretty-well every new Nature-Symphony I create has surprises to spring on me! That tune is even more apparent in this version, but still leaves it to the listener's imagination to create anything precise enough to sing.

Chimes used:

1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (tuned to a sunny-sounding pentatonic scale)

2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (tenor) (tuned to a bright-sounding Gregorian chant scale)

3. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (rather indeterminate tuning, with a touch of whole-tone scale — bought cheaply at local store)

I made the original of this recording on 21 November 2012 in a secluded position at Sharp Tor, by the Hunter's Path, high up on north side of the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

A previous recording in this session taking place, using the bamboo and Pluto (metal) chimes; the small bamboo chimes are difficult to see, just behind and lower than the Pluto (metal) chimes, and its tubes are black to confuse us all. Now try to spot the recorder, on its tiny tripod (with black furry windshield)…!

Techie stuff:

The recorder was Sony PCM-M10, with Rycote Mini Windjammer. It was set up on a Hama Mini tripod, which I regard as not just 'mini' but tiny. Although I fairly quickly learned subsequently to avoid having recorders so close to the ground (distorts the frequency spectrum and tends to overemphasize lower parts of the frequency range), actually in this situation it was necessary to have the recorder really low down, where the wind was much lighter.

Post-recording processing was to apply EQ in Audacity to correct for the muffling effect of the windshield — and then more recently stereo widening / sharpening-up using the VST plugin A1 Stereo Control (160% widening).

Transformation of the original was (a) speed reduction as already detailed for each layer, (b) using a custom preset in the OrilRiver VST plugin to apply a moderately back-of-cathedral acoustic to middle and bottom layers — that is, rather more 'forward' than that already extant for Layer 1 —, and (c) applying to all layers a custom preset in the TDR Nova GE VST plugin to counter the overload with very low frequencies in the background sound from wind and the river down below.

Please remember to give this recording a rating — Thank you!